Peter Whitewood
@pwhitewood.bsky.social
Associate Prof & Head of History @YSJ. Early Soviet history and Stalinism. Working on POWs and the Soviet Red Cross. Occasional drummer https://shorturl.at/LRaWz
Reposted by Peter Whitewood
Total insanity. Deeply illiberal and authoritarian. Snatching people who look different off the street on the off chance they might be illegal. Does Philips realise that this is the language of tyranny?
Trevor Philips in the Times, calling for a Trump/Miller-style of random deportations based on skin colour.
archive.ph/RlXPj
archive.ph/RlXPj
November 24, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Total insanity. Deeply illiberal and authoritarian. Snatching people who look different off the street on the off chance they might be illegal. Does Philips realise that this is the language of tyranny?
The mother of all disguises
November 24, 2025 at 9:34 PM
The mother of all disguises
Reposted by Peter Whitewood
I'd like to see the response to this if the question added "if that that means universities have less money to spend on UK students".
With Rachel Reeves reportedly set to apply a new tax on tuition fees paid by overseas students, most Britons support such a move at the previously mooted level of 6%
Support: 57%
Oppose: 18%
yougov.co.uk/topics/socie...
Support: 57%
Oppose: 18%
yougov.co.uk/topics/socie...
November 24, 2025 at 4:41 PM
I'd like to see the response to this if the question added "if that that means universities have less money to spend on UK students".
Reposted by Peter Whitewood
As I said at the time this was the landmine in the immigration white paper. It will cost unis much more than they're getting from inflationary rises in domestic fees.
i: Reeves to unveil £600m raid on foreign student
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
November 23, 2025 at 10:27 PM
As I said at the time this was the landmine in the immigration white paper. It will cost unis much more than they're getting from inflationary rises in domestic fees.
A relief that university finances are in such good shape
i: Reeves to unveil £600m raid on foreign student
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
November 23, 2025 at 10:31 PM
A relief that university finances are in such good shape
November 22, 2025 at 2:12 PM
They brought it upon themselves of course, but leaving space for Reform is a disaster
November 21, 2025 at 9:25 PM
They brought it upon themselves of course, but leaving space for Reform is a disaster
Finished Cuddy by Benjamin Myers - very good!
Cuddy
**Winner of the Goldsmiths Prize 2023****Shortlisted for the Winston Graham Historical Prize****Chosen as a book of the year 2023 by The Times, Guardian, Telegr…
www.bloomsbury.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Finished Cuddy by Benjamin Myers - very good!
Reposted by Peter Whitewood
'Graduates are overwhelmingly positive about universities – 81 per cent say universities have a positive impact on the nation. Among non-graduates, that figure drops to just 55 per cent.' (Interesting that it's that high). 1/3
The political centre of gravity continues to shift towards higher education sceptics
Graduates and non-graduates are polarised in their views of university study. Steve O’Neil thinks through how the sector can demonstrate its value across the electorate Graduates and non-graduates are...
wonkhe.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:04 AM
'Graduates are overwhelmingly positive about universities – 81 per cent say universities have a positive impact on the nation. Among non-graduates, that figure drops to just 55 per cent.' (Interesting that it's that high). 1/3
One gulp at a time?
November 17, 2025 at 9:58 PM
One gulp at a time?
Nothing says ‘I’m not rich’ like over £1 million in savings…
November 17, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Nothing says ‘I’m not rich’ like over £1 million in savings…
‘Their execution was not the result of espionage or treason, but of Stalin’s growing paranoia.’
it’s easy to say Stalin’s violent behaviour was due to ‘paranoia’, and big history channels often do so. But we’ll simply never know and it’s too straightforward an explanation for the Great Terror.
it’s easy to say Stalin’s violent behaviour was due to ‘paranoia’, and big history channels often do so. But we’ll simply never know and it’s too straightforward an explanation for the Great Terror.
November 16, 2025 at 8:00 PM
‘Their execution was not the result of espionage or treason, but of Stalin’s growing paranoia.’
it’s easy to say Stalin’s violent behaviour was due to ‘paranoia’, and big history channels often do so. But we’ll simply never know and it’s too straightforward an explanation for the Great Terror.
it’s easy to say Stalin’s violent behaviour was due to ‘paranoia’, and big history channels often do so. But we’ll simply never know and it’s too straightforward an explanation for the Great Terror.
Reposted by Peter Whitewood
Governments and voters are both reacting to algorithm-shaped “public opinion,” not grounded priorities. Immigration feels urgent because platforms amplify fear, pulling parties into hollow performances of toughness. The far right reads that drift as confirmation it’s winning.
Not everyone is unhappy about the Government's descent into anti-refugee politics
November 16, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Governments and voters are both reacting to algorithm-shaped “public opinion,” not grounded priorities. Immigration feels urgent because platforms amplify fear, pulling parties into hollow performances of toughness. The far right reads that drift as confirmation it’s winning.
This, from David Runciman, on global depopulation is eye-opening and bleak.
David Runciman · Are we doomed? The End of the Species
Are we doomed to die out? We find ourselves at the only point in the history of the species when the rate of population...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 16, 2025 at 7:53 AM
This, from David Runciman, on global depopulation is eye-opening and bleak.
Someone who has not watched ‘Sarah and Duck’
November 15, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Someone who has not watched ‘Sarah and Duck’
‘Hilarious’ stuff
November 15, 2025 at 6:40 PM
‘Hilarious’ stuff
‘If Hitler had had a normal willy, maybe we would never have had a world war’
Am I having a fever dream?
Am I having a fever dream?
November 15, 2025 at 2:57 PM
‘If Hitler had had a normal willy, maybe we would never have had a world war’
Am I having a fever dream?
Am I having a fever dream?
Reposted by Peter Whitewood
"Thank Heavens Reeves froze the thresholds," says the median voter in 2029 as they walk past the derelict sports centre and down the empty high street to cast their vote.
English councils plan to sell off social clubs and sports centres to balance books
English councils plan to sell off social clubs and sports centres to balance books
Survey finds 60% of key cities councils are planning to sell assets to meet costs of adult and children’s social care
English councils are planning to sell social clubs, sports centres and shopping arcades as they bet on a fire sale of assets to balance the books, according to a survey of local authorities.
The key cities group of councils, which represents second-tier cities in England, said 60% of councils were planning to sell assets to meet the escalating costs of adult and children’s social care. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 15, 2025 at 11:34 AM
"Thank Heavens Reeves froze the thresholds," says the median voter in 2029 as they walk past the derelict sports centre and down the empty high street to cast their vote.
Reposted by Peter Whitewood
With the ending of permanent asylum, taxes on foreign students, two U-turns on income tax, a refusal to listen to business concerns about hiring costs, again I ask ‘who are Labour for?’ What is the vision underlying all these choices other than responding to last week’s polls?
November 15, 2025 at 10:36 AM
With the ending of permanent asylum, taxes on foreign students, two U-turns on income tax, a refusal to listen to business concerns about hiring costs, again I ask ‘who are Labour for?’ What is the vision underlying all these choices other than responding to last week’s polls?
Reposted by Peter Whitewood
GB News' latest host is the campaigns director for far-right MP Rupert Lowe's 'Restore Britain'. He calls for an "ethnically homogenous Christian Britain".
This is a channel which has several people in the Lobby, and which has privileged access to No 10 as part of the broadcast 'pool'. Nuts.
This is a channel which has several people in the Lobby, and which has privileged access to No 10 as part of the broadcast 'pool'. Nuts.
November 14, 2025 at 9:48 PM
GB News' latest host is the campaigns director for far-right MP Rupert Lowe's 'Restore Britain'. He calls for an "ethnically homogenous Christian Britain".
This is a channel which has several people in the Lobby, and which has privileged access to No 10 as part of the broadcast 'pool'. Nuts.
This is a channel which has several people in the Lobby, and which has privileged access to No 10 as part of the broadcast 'pool'. Nuts.
Reposted by Peter Whitewood
A very insightful article on the recent threats to UK modern languages:
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/late...
Support the petitions to stop the closures at Leicester and Nottingham, to sign click here:
www.change.org/p/save-moder...
www.change.org/p/stop-the-r...
#languages #mfl
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/late...
Support the petitions to stop the closures at Leicester and Nottingham, to sign click here:
www.change.org/p/save-moder...
www.change.org/p/stop-the-r...
#languages #mfl
November 14, 2025 at 9:13 AM
A very insightful article on the recent threats to UK modern languages:
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/late...
Support the petitions to stop the closures at Leicester and Nottingham, to sign click here:
www.change.org/p/save-moder...
www.change.org/p/stop-the-r...
#languages #mfl
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/late...
Support the petitions to stop the closures at Leicester and Nottingham, to sign click here:
www.change.org/p/save-moder...
www.change.org/p/stop-the-r...
#languages #mfl
Jenrick saying ‘sinking pints’ has the same energy as a supply teacher trying to connect with Year 10
November 14, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Jenrick saying ‘sinking pints’ has the same energy as a supply teacher trying to connect with Year 10
A new and very interesting article in Kritika on mass rehabilitation after the ‘Russian’ civil war, with implications for how we understand the Soviet 1920s
muse.jhu.edu/pub/28/artic...
muse.jhu.edu/pub/28/artic...
November 13, 2025 at 9:10 PM
A new and very interesting article in Kritika on mass rehabilitation after the ‘Russian’ civil war, with implications for how we understand the Soviet 1920s
muse.jhu.edu/pub/28/artic...
muse.jhu.edu/pub/28/artic...
Reposted by Peter Whitewood
🔉What dangers does X pose to our democracy? And should the government stop using it?
Good to hear yesterday from @sundersays.bsky.social and @petergeoghegan.bsky.social on the immense risk of X as it ignores legal obligations and its owner tries to influence UK politics.
@commonswec.parliament.uk
Good to hear yesterday from @sundersays.bsky.social and @petergeoghegan.bsky.social on the immense risk of X as it ignores legal obligations and its owner tries to influence UK politics.
@commonswec.parliament.uk
November 13, 2025 at 10:33 AM
🔉What dangers does X pose to our democracy? And should the government stop using it?
Good to hear yesterday from @sundersays.bsky.social and @petergeoghegan.bsky.social on the immense risk of X as it ignores legal obligations and its owner tries to influence UK politics.
@commonswec.parliament.uk
Good to hear yesterday from @sundersays.bsky.social and @petergeoghegan.bsky.social on the immense risk of X as it ignores legal obligations and its owner tries to influence UK politics.
@commonswec.parliament.uk